We’re going a Bear Hunt (review)

We’re going a Bear Hunt
Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
Walker Books

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, written by Michael Rosen, who has been writing for children since 1970, and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, an illustrator of many classic picture books, is an exciting action storybook for those readers who can enjoy the adventurous narration of a family going on a bear hunt. Not only is the story line stimulating but tension towards the end of the story is charmingly chilling enough for the youngsters.

The book tells the story of a family and their dog going through different settings, such as wavy grass, or a swirling snowstorm, in order to get to the cave and hunt a bear. However, once they arrive there, they get scared and run away going all the way back because the bear chases them.

As the adventure starts, the characters sing a catchy song that is repeated every time the pages are turned. This, together with the exclamation they let out when a new obstacle is faced, will be attractive for children. What’s more, the onomatopoeias used to show the characteristics of the different places along the adventure, makes it more appealing.

Helen Oxenbury uses black-and-white and watercolor cartoon drawings, which show literalness with the narration. In order to create drama, she chooses grey color scales which go along with the expression on the characters’ faces. When the family goes through the obstacles a colorful image fills the whole page creating a riskier atmosphere.

Rosen and Oxenbury’s story is absolutely hunting, not only for children but also for adults. This is one of the stories that you would remember for the rest of your life. Don’t miss it.

The doorbell rang (review)

The doorbell rang
by Pat Hutchins

Cookies are not enough in the classic story for children The doorbell rang by Pat Hutchins. Funny and intriguing at the same time, this lovely story shows and highlights the importance of sharing, even when the risk of being left with no much for yourself is implied. A moral lesson that goes straight to the heart and soul.

This story is set in Ma’s kitchen. Ma has made a dozen of delicious cookies for Victoria and Sam. “You can share them between yourselves” says Ma, and it seems as if the children had no problem with that, till the doorbell rings, and rings, and rings. Several friends start to arrive at each ring. The cookies will have to be shared between more people!  Therefore, each child has fewer cookies to eat. But then, the final ring brings a surprise for the children and Ma as well.

A noticeable characteristic of the book is the use of repetition. The phrase “No one makes cookies like Grandma”, among others, is repeated throughout the whole narration. This book may be really useful when children are starting to learn Maths, especially problem solving, because, as the story develops, they would have to calculate how many cookies correspond to each child. Besides, the book may be interesting for both, children and parents; children may feel interested about the beautiful and colourful drawings that illustrate this book whereas parents may feel interested in the message the book shows us: the importance of sharing.

The doorbell rang tells a funny story about friendship and values. But “funny story” doesn’t mean “empty story”. We highly recommend it since through a simple argument, the possibility of reflecting upon life and moral values takes place at each page, again for both children and parents.

Grandma Rabbitty´s Visit (review)

Grandma Rabbitty´s Visit
Barry Smith
Dorling Kindersley Limited, 9 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8PS.
(Review by Lidia Figueroa and Valeria Muscato).

Grandma Rabbity´s Visit, by Barry Smith, is an adorable story for toddlers that takes place in a Rabbits’ house in which the little ones of the family are expecting the visit of their Grandma. During the wait, they see many vehicles appear throughout the text.

The story begins an early morning when mother Rabbity receives a phone call from Grandma Rabbity announcing that she is coming to visit the family. As soon as she finishes the call, mother Rabbity tells her sons the news. Immediately, they begin to express an enthusiastic interest and an impatient desire for the visit of their Grandma.

As the story develops, the young Rabbities see many different means of transport through the glass of the big living room window of their house. They really enjoy the view of those vehicles that anticipate their pass with funny sounds.

The author tries to capture the attention of the young hearers from the start. He illustrates the story with coloured pictures. Also, the storywriter uses a simpler language and the repetition of the particular sound each vehicle makes not only entertains young children but it also may allow them to interact with the story by repeating the onomatopoeias.

Grandma Rabbity´s Visit is highly recommended. It will be a great help if you are a parent or a teacher interested in teaching means of transport to young children. Don´t miss the opportunity to read Grandma Rabbity´s Visit.

Som-Som (2)

Open publication - Free publishing - More children

Forum 1: Characterising the stories for our students

Some meetings ago we set to discuss the elements and characteristics that should make a story for children. Among other things, we agreed that audience age was determinant in conditioning any possible answer. Thus, it seems necessary to contextualise and specify our audience before advancing on this discussion. 

Having in mind that our aim this year would be to teach in primary schools, let us agree on Argentine primary students of English as a foreign language as our expected audience. This settled, then:

What elements should characterise the stories we choose or create for them?

You can join the debate by clicking on the 'comment' button and sharing your opinion with us.

Som-Som

Open publication - Free publishing - More children

A disappointed ant

One morning little Red Ant was working as usual until she was surprised by a strange smell. At first she thought that someone had set some leaves on fire. Then, she started to have some difficulties for breathing but suddenly she learnt that the owner of the garden where she was working that day had sprayed some poison over a wild rose which was her new place of work. 

Desperately she ran away to the neighbour’s garden. There she met a group of little black ants to whom she told about the tragic episode. But a little black ant told her that the owners of the gardens didn’t like to have their plants eaten by ants. “What’s wrong with that?” said little Red Ant. “It makes room for new people”. “I thought I was helping them to get rid of wild plants”.